Folding portable packing and weighing stand



Feb. 26, 1935. A. R. UPP 1,992,262

FOLDING PORTABLE PACKING AND WEIGHING STAND I Filed May 11, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR A12. Upp G flaw.

ATTORNEY Feb. 26, 1935. I R Upp 1,992,262

FOLDING PORTABLE PACKING AND WEIGHING STAND Filed May 11, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING PORTABLE PACKING AND WEIGHING STAND Ada R. U111 Woodlake, Calif., assignor of onehalf to Abe Dinkins, Woodlake, Calif.

Application May 11, 1934, Serial No. 725,187

4 Claims. 265-27) pending application for patent, Serial No. 706,646,

filed-January 15, 1934.

The previous stand, while portable and light, was rigid and relatively bulky, making it somewhat awkward to move the same about the orchard and to get the same tothe orchard at the outset and finish of packing operations.

The principal object of the present invention is to eliminate this objectionable feature by constructing the stand so that it may be very easily and quickly folded into a very compact fiat form, while still having the rigidity when unfolded and in operation necessary to its practical use. The big advantage of this folding feature is that it enables the stand to be easily placed in an automobile or truck and transported by the packer from place to place in the orchard, as packing operations require, without loss of time and without special facilities being necessary. At the same time the new stand has all the advantages of the previous one.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the stand as unfolded and ready for use.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the stand partially folded.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged front view of the stand in its unfolded or working position.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the stand comprises a rigid vertical back frame of inverted U shape to form legs 1 and a top cross bar 2. Pivoted on the outside of the legs near their upper end are front legs 3 adapted to extend forwardly to the ground at an acute angle to the legs 1. The pairs of legs are prevented from spreading relative to each other beyond a predetermined extent without interfering with their folding movement by toggle links 4 extending between the legs intermediate their ends and adapted to fold or collapse upwardly, as shown in Figure 2.

Disposed above the legs 3 in front of but below the top of the back frame is the supporting cradle for a standard lug box indicated at 5. This cradle is substantially the same construction as that provided in the previous device and comprises .transversely extending bottom bars 6 spaced to support the box across its ends and and an upstanding side and front flange unit 1 legs 1 so as to be capable of vertical movement relative thereto by vertically spaced pairs of links 9 pivoted to said arms and legs. To impart rigidityto the vertically movable structure so as to eliminate possible lateral weaving of the same, each opposed pair of links is formed with a diagonal brace strap 10, the directional angle of the straps of the two pairs of links being opposite to each other. I

The cradle is normally held from turning relative to the arms 8, and thus maintained at the desired working slope by toggle links 11 extending diagonally between the arms'and the flanges 7 in front of said arms, saidlinks being capable of upward folding movement.

The weight indicating device now employed comprises a housing 12 mounted on and upstanding from the back cross bar 2. A tension spring 13 is disposed in the housing and suspended from an adjustable screw 14. The lower end of the spring is attached to a block 15 in the housing from which a hook rod 16 depends to a termination a certain distance below the housing. This hook is adapted for detachable engagement with the adjacent end of an arm 17 which is rigid with and projects rearwardly from the cradle bars 6 centrally of the width of the cradle.

An upwardly projecting pin 18 is mounted in the housing to one side of the block, on which is turnable a hub 19 having a pointer 20 projecting radially therefrom and upwardly toward the side of the housing opposite the spring. Said hub also has a relatively short radial arm 21 projecting therefrom and engaging the block 15 in turning relation. The upper end of the pointer is adapted, when the cradle is lowered a certain distance, to move past an indicating window 22 formed in the front cover 23 of the housing 12. The weight necessary to cause the cradle to be lowered to an extent necessary to aline the pointer with the center of the window depends of course on the tensioning of the spring 13, which may be adjusted by the operator to conform to the weight requirements for a box load of any particular fruit being packed.

It will thus be seen that as the box becomes filled and the cradle is lowered, the operator will know that the box has the required weight of fruit therein as soon as the pointer assumes its proper indicating position in the window 22, and no subsequent weighing of the box will be necessary. The indicating device being above and back of the box it is always within convenient view of the packer.

When packing operations at any one point have been completed, the hook 16 is disengaged from the arm 17, the links 11- are folded so that the cradle may lie adjacent and parallel to the arms 8, and the latter may of course be lowered to lie adjacent and parallel to the back legs 1. links 4 are then also folded so that the front legs 3 may be swung to lie in close alinement with the legs 1. The device in its folded position thus has but little depth and can be easily transported in an ordinary automobile, or a number of stands may be stacked in superimposed relation without occupying very much space.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A folding portable packing and weighing stand comprising a vertical back frame which includes a pair of legs, other legs pivoted on and normally diverging forwardly from said frame legs, foldable links connecting said legs to limit the relative spread thereof, a box supporting cradle in front of the frame, vertical arms pivoted on and depending from the sides of the cradle, foldable links extending diagonally between and connecting the arms and cradle to normally maintain the same in a predetermined operative position, vertically spaced links pivotally connected to the arms and the frame legs, a weight indicating device on the frame, and a detachable connection between said device and the cradle.

2. A folding portable packing and weighing stand comprising a vertical back frame which includes a pair of legs, front legs, means mounting said front legs on the frame legs for folding movement adjacent the same, a box supporting cradle disposed in front of the frame, arms depending from the cradle, connecting means between said arms and the cradle to enable the latter to move to a vertical position adjacent the. arms while normally preventing such movement, means connecting the arms to the frame legs to permit the arms to move to lie adjacent the frame legs, and a weight indicating device mounted on the frame and detachably connected to the cradle when the latter is in its operative position to normally prevent such movement of the arms.

3. A folding portable packing and weighing stand comprising a vertical back frame which includes a pair of legs, front legs, means mounting said front legs on the frame legs for folding movement adjacent the same, a box supporting cradle disposed in front of the frame, arms depending from the cradle, connecting means between said arms and the cradle to enable the latter to move to a vertical position adjacent the arms while normally preventing such movement, means connecting the arms to the frame legs to permit the arms to move to lie adjacent the frame legs, a weight indicating device mounted on the frame and including a depending hook element, and a member rigid with the cradle having an opening to removably receive the hook.

4. A folding portable packing and weighing stand comprising a vertical back frame which includes a pair of legs, front legs mounted in folding relation with the frame legs, vertical arms in front of the frame legs and mounted in folding relation therewith, a box supporting cradle mounted on the arms in vertically foldable relation therewith, means normally holding the cradle against folding, a weight indicating device mounted on the frame, and a detachable connection between the cradle and preventing folding movement of the arms,

ADA R. UPP. 

